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Moving to Italy

Emigration to Italy. Description of visa programs in Italy. Questions and answers. Registration of documents. Opportunities to move to Italy.
The difficulty of moving
A fairly simple country for emigration, but there are difficulties with the acquisition of real estate
Quality of life/price ratio
Inexpensive life, quality products, security, ease of opening and running a business
Climate
It differs depending on the region, but in winter it is humid and foggy

Visa programs in Italy

Information about resident visas for work, study, work, family reunification and others, on the basis of which it is possible to obtain a residence permit in the country.

Immigration to Italy

A handy compilation of practical information

Polina
Imigrata Immigration Specialist
Visas to Italy:
Entry to Italy is open for residents and EU citizens vaccinated with a vaccine recognized by the EMA. From April 1, 2022, all types of visas are issued to Russians.

Transit conditions:
Transit is allowed without restrictions, PLF and PCR test are not required if you do not leave the transit zone.

Tickets:
Italy has banned flights of Russian planes over its territory, flights from Russia have been canceled. You can get into the country through Turkey, the UAE or from other European countries.

Epidemiological situation:
Russians need to be vaccinated with a vaccine recognized by the EMA, or any other (including Sputnik-V), if they have a negative antigen test within 48 hours or a PCR test for COVID no later than 72 hours.

The best cities to live in Italy

The top 5 best cities to live in Italy include:
Milan is the most populous city in the country, famous for its palaces, green streets and colorful houses, and, of course, Milan is a recognized fashion capital and a very creative place, ideal for designers and everyone connected with fashion, as well as financiers and brokers, since it is here that the Italian stock exchange is located;
Bolzano is a city surrounded by mountains and at the foot of the Dolomites with a large number of castles and ski resorts. For many years it was considered the best city to live in Italy;
Trento is a city with a centuries-old history near the Alps, founded in the 4th century BC. There are many architectural masterpieces: the Palazzo Pretorio Palace, the Piazza Duomo with beautiful mansions and the fountain "Neptune", the railway station in the style of Italian modernism. Tourism, trade, services, agriculture and winemaking are particularly developed;
Aosta is a small Italian city-the capital of skiing and mountain tourism with a transitional climate from temperate to subtropical, which has preserved the ancient Roman history. Locals call Aosta the "spectacle of life";
Trieste is an "Italian Vienna" with notes of Austrian architecture and ancient Roman heritage, the city in general has collected almost all architectural styles known in Italy. Trieste is home to a metallurgical plant and several major national and international research institutes.

Pros and cons of moving to Italy

Advantages of living in Italy:
  • One of the most pleasant climates in Europe;
  • A developed country and the third largest economy of the Eurozone, a member of NATO;
  • There are many different Mediterranean products and exquisite, delicious Italian cuisine, beloved by tourists all over the world;
  • The richest historical and cultural heritage - from Ancient Roman to Renaissance, Baroque and Mannerism and entire cities included in the UNESCO World Heritage List - Rome, Vatican, Florence, Venice, San Gimignano, etc.;
  • A diverse mentality of Italians with restrained and elegant people in the north and emotional, open and very kind Southerners;
  • Italy ranks second in the list of the healthiest countries in the world with a very decent life expectancy.
Cons of living in Italy:
  • Without knowledge of Italian, few people will understand you, so it is absolutely necessary to learn the local language, because only 35% of Italian residents know English;
  • For the most part, Italians are still too noisy, open, gesticulating and emotional for most Russians - this is by no means a minus, but it's worth bearing in mind;
  • Unemployment in Italy is not a myth, and the vast majority of the unemployed are young people;
  • Italian sluggishness is superimposed on the usual bureaucracy for Europe, which makes any communication with state authorities long and nervous;
  • Living in Italy is quite expensive, especially compared to other European countries.

Housing in Italy

The "apartment issue" will not be a big problem, but some aspects of Italian life are still worth knowing:
  • In the southern regions, they do not like paperwork too much and try to avoid signing a lease agreement because of the high percentage of taxation on profits, and it is more profitable for the tenant not to pay the monthly rental cost to the realtor, however, to obtain a residence permit or a student visa, a lease agreement will be required. In addition, renting an apartment "on friendship", as a rule, has much more disadvantages than advantages;
  • Meeting with the owner of an Italian apartment often resembles an interview - you can be asked any inconvenient question to make sure of reliability and find out what kind of person you are, and they will also probably ask you to present a bank statement to check your solvency;
  • Real estate agencies charge about a month's cost of living for their services, plus you should have an amount in the amount of 2-3 months of living in an apartment, which will go to a deposit.

The cost of renting an apartment:
as in any other country, it depends on the location - the more prestigious the area, the more expensive it is to rent housing, the location of the apartment on the city map directly affects pricing. The suburb will be noticeably cheaper than the city limits, and the windows to the courtyard will make the apartment cheaper in comparison with the city view. Housing in the south of the country is cheaper than in the north.

In Rome, Milan and Florence, you will pay about 500 euros for a one-room apartment, 730 euros for a two-room apartment and about 1,000 euros for a three-room apartment. With less popular cities, the situation is more pleasant: in Turin, Palermo, Verona and similar cities, "one-bedroom" can be found for 300-400 euros, and at the capital prices of a two-room apartment, luxury apartments are rented in prestigious areas.

The cost of utilities:
The average monthly utility bill is from 120 to 200 euros, depending on the region. If the Internet and TV are connected, it will cost another 25-30 euros.

Where to look for housing:

Medicine in Italy

Italian medicine is not recognized as the best in the world, but the achievements of this country in the field of gerontology and oncology are considered a reason for pride. Medicine is practically free for both Italian citizens and foreigners, and the latest medical equipment and highly qualified personnel can be found in all regions of the country. However, making an appointment with a therapist or getting to the right hospital is not so easy because of the queues, so paid medicine is very common and costs quite a budget.

Fully paid medical care is guaranteed to receive:
• children under 6 years old, even when referring to narrowly specialized specialists (in some regions, the age has been increased to 14 years);
• persons with chronic diseases or rare health pathologies;
• people with disabilities;
• victims of terrorist attacks;
• citizens over 65 years of age;
• family members whose confirmed annual income does not exceed 36,151.98 euros.

What is unusual in the pharmaceutical industry of Italy is that there are three types of pharmacies operating here:
  • Pharmacy - classic pharmacies that are familiar to us, specializing in prescription drugs, but you can also buy conventional medicines without a prescription;
  • Parapharmacia - over-the-counter medications only;
  • Arboristeria is the most popular type of pharmacies where they sell teas, fees, tinctures, dietary supplements and herbal cosmetics.

Education in Italy

Education in Italy lasts longer than in many other countries, and is based on the following system:
  • Preschool education, which begins at the age of 3 - children are sent to kindergartens, where they are prepared for school;
  • Primary school - from 6 to 11 years, where children receive primary knowledge, learn to read, write, count, etc.;
  • Junior secondary school - from 11 to 14 years; Italian and foreign languages, mathematics, geography and other subjects are studied here;
  • Secondary school - from 14 to 19 years (you can study at school or go to college);
  • Higher education in universities.

Preschool education in Italy is not compulsory, but 95% of children attend kindergartens and nurseries - private or public:
• public services are free for everyone who lives in Italy legally, parents pay only for meals and excursions, about 100 euros per month (there are benefits for the poor);
• private ones are fully (or partially) paid for by parents and, on average, cost about 300-400 euros per month.

Higher education in Italy is divided into three stages:
• Laurea (Bachelor's degree) - 3 years of study;
• The second stage is of two types: Laurea Specialistica (a two-year master's degree with an academic bias) and Diploma di Master Universitario di 1° livello (a one-year master's degree with a focus on professional activity);
• Third-level degrees can be of three types: Dottorato di Ricerca - an analogue of a PhD with a period of study of 3 years; Diploma di Specializzazione di 2° livello - a professionally oriented postgraduate course with a period of study of 2 to 6 years; and Diploma di Master Universitario di 2° livello - a second-level master's degree lasting at least one year year.

Diplomas of Italian universities are highly valued and recognized in all European countries.

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